South America Study Tour 2020
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South America Study Tour 2020 DATE ACTIVITY OVERNIGHT DAY 1 Overnight flight to Santiago (Chile). The flight time from Australia's east coast is about 14 PERU Saturday, August 8 hours, most of which is at night. Afternoon arrival and transfer to a direct flight to Lima to Lima (Meals on plane check in to a hotel close to the airport. then dinner) There are also direct flights from Melbourne to Santiago but these may entail an extra night in Santiago. DAY 2 Morning flight to Cusco with a walking tour of the city with its magnificent Spanish colonial Cusco Sun, Aug 9 architecture and Incan heritage. Plaza de Armas is the central square in the old city, with ar- (B,L,D) cades, carved wooden balconies and Incan wall ruins. The baroque Santo Domingo Convent was built on top of the Incan Temple of the Sun (Qoricancha), and has archaeological remains of Inca stonework. Then maybe time to visit one of the markets, but take it easy as you acclimatise to the alti- tude. Dinner and folkloric show at a local restaurant this evening. DAY 3 This morning we enjoy a spectacular bus and train journey through farming valleys and Cusco Mon, Aug 10 imposing mountains to Aguas Calientes station (1000 metres lower than Cusco). Then bus (B,L) to the top of the mountain and our unforgettable introduction to the citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the most renowned examples of Inca architecture, surrounded by lush cloud forest. Lost in history, it was not discovered until 1911 by the American explorer Hiram Bingham. After a guided visit of the ruins, we will have a self-service lunch at the local mountain-top restaurant. After lunch, there will be some time to wander the ruins and maybe climb to the Sun Gate for a spectacular view of the whole site (about 45 minutes each way). Then return to Cusco. DAY 4 Fly to Sao Paulo via Lima. Because we are flying across the continent, it will be a late BRAZIL Tues, Aug 11 afternoon arrival, so we will stay at an airport hotel overnight. Sao Paulo (B,D) DAY 5 We will take a morning flight to Cuiaba in Mato Grosso, then travel through the spectacular Campo Verde Wed, Aug 12 Chapada dos Guimarães, an area of stunning table-top mountains, ravines, caves, streams (B,L,D) and waterfalls perched about 800m higher than the enormous, flat plains of the Pantanal. It enjoys cooler temperatures and its vegetation is 'cerrado' or tropical savannah which gives rise to different flora and fauna. This cerrado landscape dominates Brazil's broadacre agriculture – not only in Mato Grosso, but Minas Gerais, Goias and Bahia. It was thought to be worthless for agriculture until Brazilian researchers found that it could be made highly productive with the addition of lime and phosphorus. We will visit some of the huge farming operations near Campo Verde. It is truly farming on a grand scale. Dinner with some local consultants and farmers. DAY 6 Visit to Bom Futuro. The size of this operation is almost incomprehensible. They grow 90,000 Campo Verde Thurs, Aug 13 hectares of cotton which is classed as a secondary crop to soybeans. They are big enough to (B,L,D) build a hydroelectric power station 200 km away which provides 60 per cent of the power to their nine cotton gins and farming operations. They have scaled back their cattle enterprise but still have something like 100,000 head. And they have moved into fish farming in a big way. Be prepared to be amazed. DAY 7 Visit more farms in the area as we travel along some roads which will give you an idea of the Rio de Janeiro Fri, Aug 14 logistical problems facing farmers in this frontier area. Then back to Cuiaba, where we catch (B,L) a flight to Rio de Janeiro for an evening arrival. Transfer to our hotel right on Copacabana beach. DAY 8 While in Rio we will see the major sights of this fantastic city including Corcovado (Christ the Rio de Janeiro Sat, Aug 15 Redeemer), the Lagoon, Copacabana and Ipanema Beach and the Sugarloaf cable car. After (B,L,D) lunch, we have the opportunity to do something most tourists don’t – an amazing guided tour of some of the favelas (hillside shanty towns) of Rio. This tour is not intrusive or patronising. It has the full backing of the local communities to help raise awareness of their unique living, social and political conditions. DATE ACTIVITY OVERNIGHT DAY 9 Morning flight to Fox do Iguacu then after lunch, inspect the giant Itaipo Dam – one of Iguacu Falls Sun, Aug 16 the seven wonders of the modern world. This enormous hydro scheme is a joint project Belmond Hotel das Cataratas (B,L,D) between the governments of Paraguay and Brazil. Eight kilometres wide and requiring enough concrete to build five Hoover Dams, the Itaipu Dam spans the Parana River at the Brazil/ Paraguay border. The plan is to get back to enter the Iguacu National Park and arrive at our hotel in time for sunset and an unforgettable (and easy) stroll along the boardwalk, from the front of our hotel, to many vantage points including Garganta del Diablo. Free evening to explore the falls and enjoy this magnificent 5 star hotel, perched right on the edge of the falls. DAY 10 This is the only hotel inside the National Park, so we have the falls to ourselves in the early Iguassu Falls Mon, Aug 17 morning and late afternoon when the park gates are closed. Belmond Hotel das Cataratas (B,L,D) Full day to explore all aspects of the falls. We go straight to our jungle tour and exhilarating jetboat ride to the most impressive part of Iguacu Falls – Garganta del Diablo (translated as the ‘Devil’s Throat’). After lunch, there are options for helicopter flights over the falls and other activities. DAY 11 This morning we cross the border into Argentina for a flight to Rosario. the agricultural ARGENTINA Tues, Aug 18 capital of Argentina. We will be met by Andrés Sylvestre Begnis, the former CEO of the Rosario (B,D) Argentinean No Till Farmer’s Association, who is going to be our tour leader for the next few days. Over the next two days our guides will introduce us to the farms and farmers of La Pampa (the pampas), an almost uninterupted fertile plain of 75 million hectares (3 times Australia's total cropping area) covering a large part of eastern Argentina through to Uruguay and southern Brazil. DAY 12 This morning we will travel 120km to Pergamino, the biggest city in the northern region of Pergamino Wed, Aug 19 Buenos Aires province, in the middle of the humid Pampas. We’ll stop to visit Agrouranga, (B,L,D) a family company with more than 150 years farming in the region. In the farm, Jose Luis Ferri, the agronomist who is responsible of production, is going to receive us. Then, we’ll continue travelling to visit Cesar Belloso, former President of Aapresid and a very well-known agronomist and consultant. Dinner in La Cava Restaurant, near the hotel. DAY 13 More farm visits around Pergamino. We will visit cropping and cattle operations on the way to Buenos Aires Thurs, Aug 20 Buenos Aires for a late afternoon arrival. (B,L,D) DAY 14 We take a guided city tour of the major sights of BA. Buenos Aires Fri, Aug 21 This is a vibrant city of many barrios (neighbourhoods) and we'll visit colonial San Telmo, the (B,L) colourful houses of La Boca and the newly redeveloped Puerto Madero. At the Plaza de Mayo, we get a look at the Casa Rosada (the Pink Palace) where Eva Peron waved to the adoring crowds and visit her tomb in the cemetery at La Recoleta. Our hotel is located on the widest street in the world – the Avenue 9 de Julio – which honours Argentina’s independence day in 1816. It is in an area known as Microcentro and is close to shopping and almost opposite the beautiful Teatro Colon, BA’s opera house. The afternoon and evening are free, but we will suggest a few options such as bike tours and just generally exploring the many interesting areas of BA. For those interested, we can organise an optional visit to a Tango show, which may also include dinner. Or perhaps a night at the opera appeals. DAY 15 This morning you will have the option to visit the famous Liniers cattle market. In the El Calafate Sat, Aug 22 afternoon we fly south to the magnificent Patagonian region to the lake-side resort centre of (B,L,D) El Calafate, the gateway to the Argentine glaciers. In the afternoon we will visit one of the local large scale sheep farms and discuss their particular (and unique) problems, such as pumas. DAY 16 We are in the arid rain-shadow region of the Argentine Patagonia. This is an environment El Calafate Sun, Aug 23 ranging from enormous, majestic glaciers through to thick sub-Antarctic woodlands and (B,L,D) savage unclimbed crags. El Calafate is sited on the shores of Lago Argentino, one of the world’s largest and most beautiful lakes. El Calafate is also the access town for Glacier Perito Moreno, undoubtedly one of the world’s natural wonders and one of the very few advancing glaciers on Earth. Early this morning we board our charter 4 wheel drive coach and travel about an hour to visit this glacier as it wages a titanic battle with Lago Argentino.